Open Mouth Insert Foot

“Mommy Look what Daddy got me!” Jimmy yelled.

Calmly Ellie asked, “What did you do?”

“What? I brought home a puppy for Jimmy that’s all. Every little boy needs a dog.” He told her proudly.

“Well don’t you think we should have talked about this first?” she asked him giving him the evil eye.

“Are you mad at me? It’s just a dog El it’s no big deal.” He told her not really understanding why she was getting upset at him.

“Jon I don’t want to discuss this with you in front of him alright? Jimmy Honey why don’t you take him to the kitchen and get him a bowl of water and we’ll figure something out for food ok?” she told him. Jimmy took the pup out to the kitchen as Jon stood there waiting for her to yell at him.

Then before she started in on him he held up his hand and started to talk. “Before you come down on me the pet store is sending over all the things the dog needs in about an hour because they are out doing they’re delivers so they should be here in a little while they said. I ordered what they suggested. So basically all he needs is a name. So I really don’t see what the big deal is.” He told her again.

She stood there as she couldn’t believe what he was saying to her. “Jon the big deal is that you got the dog without consulting me. Don't you think that buying a dog is something that you should have say talked to me about?” she asked him a little miffed.

Realizing that maybe he may have crossed a line here but that Jimmy is his son too he asked her, “Babe ok I think I get what you’re saying but he’s my kid too so why can’t I buy him a dog if I want to? I mean I haven’t had the chance to really get him things that I wanted to so now if I do I have to ask permission first?” he asked her a little annoyed.

“Are you giving me attitude? Look Jon you’re not here all the time so you’re not the one who has to take care of it. It’s going to be like taking care of another kid. It’s going to eat and poop just like a kid and guess what where are you going to be? Oh yeah not here.  And I am and teaching a seven year old how to take care of a puppy.” She told him with just as much attitude as he gave her.

“Babe you’re going to be fine because you’ll have the staff to help you so what’s the problem?” he asked her again.

“Are you kidding me? I’m not going to ask the damn staff to help with the damn dog Jon. Because if it’s Jimmy’s dog then it’s his responsibility to take care of him and mine! That’s why Daddy wouldn’t let us get one because it would fall on Mom to take care of it because we would get bored of taking care of it so it would fall all on her. And now I know why he wouldn’t and if you tell him that I’ll hit you!” she yelled at him.

“Ok I’m sorry I didn’t talk it over with you first but it’s kind of too late now isn’t it.  I’m sorry forgive me?” he asked her now giving her the puppy dog face.

She just looked at him and she knew she couldn’t stay mad at him. “Oh will you stop that. You know I can’t stay mad at you when you do that you big dope.” She said to him as he walked up to her and put his arms around her waist.

“I know why do you think I do it.” He said in his low whiskey voice.

“Cut it out our son is just a few feet away.” She reminded him a little uncomfortable.

“Yeah so.” He said as he licked the outside of her ear. “You still mad at me?”

“Yes so now go away.” She told him as he was letting his hands roam her body.

“Nope and not til you tell me you’re not mad at me.” He said as he was kissing her neck now.

“Ok, ok I’m not mad at you anymore alright so stop and let me go.” She was almost begging him at this point.

Lifting his head, “Ok and I promise I’ll talk to you before I buy him anything like this again ok?” he told her kissing her on her nose.

“You are such a pain in my ass.” She said to him but he kissed her again this time a little bit more passionately.

Just then they heard little feet coming their way and as they parted Jimmy’s head peaked out from behind the doorway of the hall leading towards the kitchen. “Excuse me Mommy?” he asked her.

“Yes Honey what it is?” she asked him still blushing a little bit.

“Um Buddy went peepee on the kitchen floor.” He told them wincing.

They looked at each other smiling.  “Buddy?” she asked him.

“Yeah.” He said to her.

“Can I ask you why Buddy Honey?” she wanted to know.

“Because he’s my Buddy.” he told her like she should have known this.

“Oh well that’s a great name Sweetie. Daddy and I will be right in so don’t let him near it ok?” she told him as he went back in there.

Looking at Jon, “See so do you want to take this Mister?” she asked him smiling.

 “How about I take Buddy and Jimmy and give them both a bath ok?” he asked her with a lopsided grin.

“Why don’t you do that while I wash the floor.” She agreed.

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Finally it was late at night and Jimmy was put down in bed and Buddy was sleeping at the foot of his bed after Jon showed him how to feed and take him out. He came downstairs in search of Ellie when he found her in the den again reading.

“Hey Babe well they are both down at least for now. You know I meant to ask you there wasn’t any booze in the bar but you have my wine how come?” he wondered why.

“Oh that well they sell your wine at the grocery store so I bought it. I wasn’t sure if the year was any good but I figured if you ever did come home I’d have something for you. Anyway as for the bar I thought you would like to fill that. I really don’t know what kind you want in there so you can do that.” She told him.

“Well the wine is fine Babe so thank you.” He told her looking at her with all that he had.

“What? Oh by the way are you doing your treatments since you been here I haven’t seen you do them.” She asked him.

Trying not to get annoyed, “Yeah why you’ve been asleep when I’ve been doing them it’s all good.” He told her.

She looked at him and she knew that mostly she has been up with him because they have been making love in the morning and at night so they have been together so he couldn’t have been doing it then.  She’ll have to give Richie a call when he leaves and give him a heads up. Maybe he can do something about it more than she can. He usually listens to him better than her anyway.

“Good just checking Babe.” She said to him back.

Jon’s head shot up as he was reading the paper. ‘Did she just call me Babe? She never calls me Babe. What the Fuck?’ he thought to himself. “Ellie is everything ok?” he asked her concerned.

“Yeah why?” she asked him strangely.

Sitting up straight he asked her, “Well you just called me Babe and you never have called me that. So what’s up with you?” he asked curiously.

“Did I? Huh? I didn’t realize I did isn’t that funny I guess you’re rubbing off on me.” She said to him smiling and went back to her book.

Jon sat there a little surprised at her answer but decided not to push it. Maybe she was right and it was just a slip of the tongue. He went back to his paper and when they both started to get tired they decided to turn in. When they were upstairs they checked in on Jimmy and Ellie saw Jon’s eyes light up when they looked into his room. Jon had put his arms around her shoulder and squeezed as he was just so happy at this moment in his life. He had his girl and his son and they were all together but this time they were in a bigger house than his small apartment. He felt proud that he could provide for his family especially at his young age. He could see what his mother was saying that if he knew about the pregnancy would he still be standing where he is now. He looked over at Ellie and kissed her on her temple and gave her a weak smile.

“Come Babe let’s go bed.” He said to her as he gently moved her in the direction of their room.

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   They were lying in the bed all cuddle up after they had made love to one another and Jon was stroking her back when he asked her a question.

“Ellie?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think well we would still be together if I knew about your pregnancy?” he asked her a little nervous.

As she was stroking his chest her hand came to a halt on his stomach. “Um well I don’t know I guess that would have depended on you.” She told him as she was surprised by his questioned.

“Ok well how’s that?” he wanted to know. 

“Well seeing that I’m the one who is pregnant I can’t runaway from it but you can so you really don’t have to stick around you know? But I’m stuck with the baby or at least til I would give birth to it. Then I’d have some options. Which I chose to keep him. I was in love with him as soon as I had calmed down and realized I was going to be a Mom. I knew I couldn’t abort or give this baby away. So if you were with me I have no idea if you could have stuck it out til now Jon. Would you be where you are today? Again I don’t know. What I do know is when you set your mind to something you do it so who knows we could be right where we are right now because my parents still would have taken me and Jimmy in. And you still would have gone and done everything with your music because that would have driven you even more.” She told him hoping that would suffice.

Smiling and kissing the top of her head, “You really have all that faith in me?” he asked her looking at her so lovingly.

“Yeah I do why?” she wanted to know.

Shaking his head, “No reason I just thought for a brief moment what my Mom is going thru that’s all.” He told her feeling a little bit of sympathy for her.

Ellie rolled her eyes but didn’t want Jon to see her. “Ok so what brought this on.” She asked him.

“Watching Jimmy sleep and thinking all the times that I missed.” He told her.

“Well you missed some of those times because of her or have you forgotten that.” She reminded him.

“No El I remember.” He told her sharply.

“Wait your upset with me because I said that?” she asked him shocked as she sat up. 

“No I’m not upset with you ok. I just get it alright.” he told her again still sharply.

“No you are I mean what the hell Jon.” she asked him upset.

“Well fine my Mom keeps calling me and well you know she does have a point. Your parents get to see Jimmy and well mine have never even seen him. And on top of that if something happens to you I’m not even on the Birth Certificate so who has custody if something happens to you?” he wanted to know.

Ellie sat there dumbfounded. “Where the Hell is this all coming from? I mean we just made love to one another and now all hell is breaking loose? Jon I mean why?” she wanted to know as tears were forming in her eyes.

“Well I had gotten a call from my Mother before I left and of course she pulled one of her crying jabs again and I blew her off as I usually do. Then when I was talking to Richie about it he had mentioned the certificate again and I blew that off trying to make it look like I didn’t care but Babe I do care. Shouldn’t I be on it? Shouldn’t I be his legal guardian? I mean haven’t you strung this out longer than you should?” he finally asked her.

She just stared at him and didn’t know what to say. After a few minutes Jon looked at her and asked, “Well are you going to answer me or not!” he asked a little too roughly. 

“Fine…I was just waiting for the right time ok?...” But he jumped in not so happy.

“Right time! What’s the right time! We’ve been together now for over a year so you tell me when is the God Damn Right Time Is!” he bellowed.

“Keep your voice down you may wake him! (she said as she got up and put her robe on) Look I just wasn’t sure ok? At first with all that stuff with Michael and then you on the road I just forgot and now with me not sure about you well you know I just need to be one hundred percent sure…” she was trying to explain to him.

“Oh that’s just great!(he was saying as he was putting his sweats on)I’m so sick and tired of being compared to Michael. And as for being on the road get used to it Babe because that’s part of the life style and you’ll always being hearing if I’m fooling around with someone.” He told her as he headed for the door.

“Where are you going? It’s two thirty in the morning.” she asked him.

“Down the hall to one of the other rooms so I can get some sleep.” He told her as he shut the door. Well Ellie just stood there and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry she was so mad. She sat on the bed trying to figure out where all this went bad.

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The morning came and Jon had a hard time sleeping. He was used to having Ellie by his side the past two nights so this night he tossed and turned without having her in his arms. Knowing he made a mistake leaving the bedroom last night over what he said to her, he knew he had a lot to make up for. He didn’t even know why it hit him like it did. Maybe it was the wine who knows he thought. All he knew now was that he had a lot to makeup to her and that he has a big mouth. He got up and walked out and down the hall to their bedroom. He took a deep breath and then entered. But he was surprised when he found the room emptied. The bed was still rumpled but he found her night clothes on the bed in a pile which meant she must have gotten dressed. So he looked over at the bureau and sure enough her pocketbook was gone also. ‘Damn It’ he thought.

So he went to Jimmy’s room thinking that maybe she took him as well. He was almost running down the hall and when he got to his room he threw the door open and nearly scared his son half to death. “Daddy! What’s the matter?” Jimmy asked him.

“Nothing Jimmy I thought I heard you fall but I see you’re fine.” He told him trying to smile.

“I’m ok Daddy see.” He told him holding up one of his action figures as Buddy looked on.

“I see Honey. Um do you know where Mommy is?” he asked him.

“No she just said she was going out for a little while.” He told his Dad.

“So she did leave the house?” Jon asked him.

“Yep after I ate my cereal and we took out Buddy.” He told him going back to his playing.

Jon went back to the bedroom to look for a note but there wasn’t any. So then he went down to the kitchen to look and there wasn’t any there either. Crap she was pissed at him. So he got the coffee going seeing that it was going to be one hell of a long day.

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Yes Ellie was upset at what Jon had said to her last night. She was driving around all morning to try and clear her head. She had stopped off at their little spot on the beach where he love to take her even thou she wasn’t a beach person. As she was sitting on the beach thinking she was trying to see his side of things and much to her chagrin she could see his side of things. And that pissed her off even more. Was she being selfish to him? Could she do something right now that would help him feel that she is trying to be a part of his life? Oh God she feels Ill. How the hell does he expect her to even forgive and forget? She got up and walked back to her car she really needed to talk this out.

So she drove and drove until she came to this house that she thought she wouldn’t see again for some time. She got out and walked up to the front door and rang the bell. After a few minutes it opened.

“Hello Mrs. Bongio

vi I think it’s about time that we talked.” Ellie told her.